By Moonlight
by blinkkittylove
Summary: A breakfast meeting, a bold thief, a balcony... and Nishikino Maki and Yazawa Nico sparring.


Nishikino Maki smiled at her father. And his recently promoted Chief of Security, Captain Yazawa Nico, glaring from behind his right shoulder. Her weekly breakfast visit had been providing an amusing opportunity to tweak both of them since she'd moved into her own private, midsize city tower. They were never happy to be left out of her planning. Maki's head of security, Sonoda Umi, rolled her eyes whenever Yazawa suggested elaborate schemes or messaged over pages of diagrams and just invested in really solid locks. Yazawa had really bought into the Nishikino overdo everything aesthetic, Maki thought as she stared at the tiny, toughened soldier with gold epaulets the size of a fist on her uniform shoulders. The table in front of Maki was a poignant illustration of her privileged origins. While children starved outside the walls, the menu her father had ordered had food enough for 8 people, of which she had eaten not even enough for one. Maki preferred dining experiences that left out the advice "for your own good."

Her father cleared his throat, knowing his daughter well enough to realize he'd lost her attention.  
"It's too dangerous. That jewel thief is still out there, mocking everyone. A party will draw attention to you."

Maki laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder, dramatically, knowing she would capture Captain Yazawa's eye. "I like attention. And I trust MY security."

Yazawa growled as she gritted her teeth. It was adorable, the way her luminous crimson eyes narrowed, a caricature of the intimidation she might be hoping for. But there was no real threat behind them. Maki had seen those eyes in nearly every mood, and never had she felt anything less than safe.

"Well, at least lock up your jewels." Her father continued in his most serious voice, "This 'Crimson Kestrel' deviant took the entirety of the Minami heir's jewel case while she slept last night."

That was news. Maki tapped her spoon impatiently as her glance flashed to the right, her own eyes narrowing as Yazawa started fidgeting. Last night. Maki had had plans, but nothing had come of them. Now she had a clue why. She cleared her throat.

"Is your promotion keeping you busy, Captain? I rarely see you anymore except at these appointments. Does my father allow you any free time? You must remember you now have a position in society. Leisure activities allow one to keep sharp and maintain the necessary social connections."

Nico flinched. Maki felt a twinge of guilt, but it she had been up very late the night before. Waiting.

"I assure the Princess that once I have everything here running on my standard, I will once again be making sure her dance card is not just full of the silly scions of overbred bloodlines." Nico bowed. Maki grimaced.

"Military uniforms were a sure way to land a spot on a young lady's dance card in my youth. Fortunately, your mother had different standards." Maki's father had his smuggest look. Maki grimaced, eating the last of her scone. She'd had enough of this conversation.

"I could lend you a few of my best for this party, ill advised as it is." Nico's casual at ease stance was belied by the twitch of her eyebrows. "I'm sure it would ease your father's mind."

Maki curled a twist of hair, "Umi isn't worried." Maki glanced at her watch and stood, "As a matter of fact, I'm a little behind schedule, so I must run. Thank you for breakfast, Papa." Maki leaned down to kiss her father on her way out the door, swooping in so swiftly Yazawa didn't have a chance to back up, "Please take care of yourself, Captain." Maki stumbled slightly, but avoided an outright fall into Nico's arms, only brushing her shoulder, "Sorry."

"Not a problem, my Lady."

###

Maki hadn't been pacing the balcony for long, when it happened. The kestrel call, the swoosh of the tiny kestrel flying across her view, and then, when the distraction was over, the Crimson Kestrel, perched on the balustrade, balancing somehow, short skirt blown shorter by even the slightest puff of wind, a grin that carved out a mood of pure midnight mischief, beaked mask adding a predatory thrill matched by the sharpness glinting deep in the crimson pools smirking at Maki.

Maki leaned next to her late night visitor, "No sleeping maidens to creep on tonight?"

"That happened while the family was at dinner."

Maki shrugged, enjoying the breeze. The band was playing one of her favorite tunes in the ballroom behind her and the Crimson Kestrel had scooted just a little closer, puzzled.

"You're never this relaxed at a party."

"I cancelled the party." Maki yawned, humming.

The Kestrel tilted her head, midnight black tendrils flying out, her voice soft, as if eavesdroppers lurked, her tone suspicious. "I hear the band."

Maki chuckled, "I kept the band" She leaned her head, nudging the Kestrel's shoulder, "Dance with me."

The Kestrel stared for a long moment, taking in every detail Maki had spent so much time one but then shook her head, "Oh, you're tempting, Princess. A lovely dress to lure Nico, such an enticing offer to join hands, but stepping inside that room is the most dangerous thing Nico could do."

Patience was a quality Maki was cultivating. Since the Crimson Kestrel had first flown into her life, Maki had slowly realized there would be no taming the stubborn, strong willed, open hearted hero. That wasn't what either of them wanted. "There's no door out here, leave when you want."

"But I don't." Fingers gentle under Maki's chin, the lightest touch at the choker around her neck, "You are the real gem."

Maki held the glance that Nico had finally allowed, her ardor bright as a beacon."That's not what I see."

Nico swivelled her legs over the balcony, her gloved hands light on Maki's shoulders, one sliding toward her cheek, the other down her left arm. A whisper, sensual, drifting along Maki's bare shoulder, lips barely brushing, "Nico could do this every night."

Maki's sharp musician's ears heard a wistfulness in Nico's voice and suddenly desperate for a kiss, she fluttered her eyelids closed, as their game required when lights shone.

Gloved fingertips traced two quick ellipses, around her eyes, just like their own orbits, never quite overlapping, "My Princess, too bold for a mask."

Maki shook her head, trembling, as Nico's hand weighed heavy on hers, "I won't hide."

"I know."

The kiss was savage, sudden, Maki backed hard against the wall of the tower, Nico's deft control the only thing keeping either of them on their feet in this dizzying surge of sensation, of want.

"Soon." Nico whispered a wish, then a name, the rarest of gifts in this joust, "My Maki".

The kestrel cried a warning as it flew back, and when Maki's eyes opened she was alone. One hand reached back to the wall to steady herself, the other reaching up to the lighter pendant at her cleavage and the missing choker at her throat. The jewels were gone. Maki smiled. Fewer empty tables outside the walls tomorrow.

Raising her hand to her hair, blowing out a long sigh, the candlelight glinted off the thinnest copper band around her wrist, a quartz charm carved into the tiniest red feather hanging.

"Soon!" Maki laughed, knowing it had been a promise not a wish, and whirled into the ballroom, tears a diamond flourish as Sonoda Umi frowned from the door she'd been barring.

"Your father won't like it."

"No." Maki hugged herself, imagining dancing here, with Nico, free of subterfuge, spending their nights together and their days fixing the society that men like her father had broken. "But I will."

Well, I'm in the middle of three other things but my brain got hijacked last night when I saw  
myonglette's beautiful Maki and Nico on a balcony art on Twitter (You can also find it on Tumblr myonmukyuu) last night so here you go. I've been wanting to put Nico in the masked hero slot for awhile...

Cheers.


End file.
